University of Alabama in Huntsville

University of Alabama in Huntsville is a moderately selective public university in Huntsville, Alabama. It admits most applicants, graduates 64% of its students within six years, and its former students earn a median $61,767 ten years after starting college, more than 96% of the Alabama colleges we cover.

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Acceptance rate
69%

More selective than 65% of Alabama colleges we cover.

College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class

What your family pays
$18,796 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $27,392. College Scorecard.

Graduation rate
64%

Higher than 83% of Alabama colleges we cover and 68% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.

Within 6 years · College Scorecard

Earnings after college
$61,767

Higher than 96% of Alabama colleges we cover and 73% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.

Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard

University of Alabama in Huntsville acceptance rate & admissions

Of 6,074 applicants, University of Alabama in Huntsville admitted 4,510 and 1,176 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1210–1410 on the SAT or 24–31 on the ACT.

6,074
Applied
4,510
Admitted
1,176
Enrolled

IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class

SAT total, middle 50% of first-years1210–1410
ACT composite, middle 50% of first-years24–31
First-years who sent SAT scores6%
First-year students who return84%
Pell Grant recipients25%
First-generation students31%
Women / men39% / 61%

Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS

University of Alabama in Huntsville tuition, cost & net price

What families actually pay per year, by income

Average net price after grants and scholarships for Alabama residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.

College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)

Sticker price (before aid)

Tuition & fees, in-state$12,132
Tuition & fees, out-of-state$26,408
Housing & meals, on campus$11,122
Books & supplies$2,416
Total cost of attendance, in-state$27,392

IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard

Median debt at graduation$13,905
Loan default rate4.7%3-year rate, 2017 repayment cohort

College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal

Full cost breakdown, in-state vs out-of-state →

What University of Alabama in Huntsville costs to finish, and how fast it pays back

Graduates of University of Alabama in Huntsville took 4.4 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Alabama. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.

Family incomeNet price / yrCost to finishYears to pay back
$0–30k$16,192$71,4072.4 years
$30–48k$16,532$72,9062.4 years
$48–75k$18,210$80,3062.7 years
$75–110k$20,777$91,6273.0 years
$110k+$21,501$94,8193.1 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.4 years, the average time graduates took (41% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($61,767) minus $31,484 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in AL (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $30,283 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method

College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.

Best-value colleges in Alabama for your income →

University of Alabama in Huntsville majors, earnings & careers

University of Alabama in Huntsville offers 41 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.

  • Engineering · 10
  • Business & Finance · 7
  • Humanities & Languages · 6
  • Science & Math · 5
  • Arts & Design · 3
  • Social Sciences & Public Service · 3
  • Education · 2
  • Health & Medicine · 2
  • Technology & Computing · 2
  • Communications & Media · 1

Highest-earning majors at University of Alabama in Huntsville

MajorEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debt
Computer Engineering$105,920$26,825
Electrical Engineering$100,296$24,125
Mechanical Engineering$95,341$24,897
Industrial Engineering$95,153$31,000
Computer and Information Sciences$95,076$22,000
Engineering$91,645—
Chemical Engineering$90,681$27,000
Finance$89,472—
Quick list of all 41 majors
  • Accounting$71,245
  • Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical / Space Engineering$87,339
  • Biology$45,992
  • Business—
  • Business Administration$62,872
  • Business Economics—
  • Chemical Engineering$90,681
  • Chemistry—
  • Civil Engineering$78,858
  • Communications—
  • Computer and Information Sciences$95,076
  • Computer Engineering$105,920
  • Education (Elementary / Secondary)$42,922
  • Electrical Engineering$100,296
  • Engineering$91,645
  • Engineering Technologies / Technicians—
  • Engineering, Other—
  • English—
  • Finance$89,472
  • History—
  • Industrial Engineering$95,153
  • Information Technology—
  • Kinesiology / Exercise Science$49,270
  • Linguistics—
  • Management Information Systems$78,319
  • Marketing$58,015
  • Mathematics—
  • Mechanical Engineering$95,341
  • Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
  • Music—
  • Nursing$75,430
  • Philosophy—
  • Physical Sciences, Other—
  • Physics—
  • Political Science—
  • Psychology—
  • Sociology—
  • Special Education—
  • Studio Art$43,321
  • Theatre—
  • Writing—

— means too few graduates to report earnings.

College Scorecard field of study, latest release

All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →

Nursing → Registered nurse

$77,090
Huntsville
$77,080
Alabama
$97,550
U.S.

Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35

Mechanical Engineering → Mechanical engineer

$102,450
Huntsville
$100,230
Alabama
$104,110
U.S.

Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 11.2% from 2025 to 2035.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35

Living in Huntsville

Cost of living
7% below the U.S. average

Overall prices in the Huntsville, AL area.

BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024

Off-campus rent, 1 bedroom
$1,177/mo

2 bedrooms $1,341. Housing costs 22% below the U.S. average.

HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027

Weather
52° / 92°

January and July average highs. 54 inches of rain a year, 2 inches of snow.

NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020

Natural hazard risk
Relatively High

Highest: tornado (relatively high); river flooding (relatively high); winter weather (relatively high).

FEMA National Risk Index, Madison County

Campus & students

Total enrollment (incl. graduate)8,743
First-year students from Alabama67%
Next most common home statesTennessee, Georgia, Illinois
AthleticsNCAA Division II without football · 7 sports
Undergraduate degrees awarded, 2023-24100% bachelor's · 0% certificates
Campus typePrimarily residential
Student bodyWhite 68% · Black 9% · Hispanic 8% · Two or more 5%International 1%

IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute

Madison County at a glance

Population405,718
Median household income$86,499
Adults with a bachelor's degree46%
Median age38

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024

Compare University of Alabama in Huntsville with similar schools

Similar public colleges in Alabama by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.

SchoolAcceptanceYou'd payGraduationEarnings, 10 yrsPrice gap
University of Alabama in Huntsville69%$18,79664%$61,767This school
Jacksonville State University78%$14,27955%$45,235
University of South Alabama71%$17,64853%$49,379
University of North Alabama87%$12,17055%$45,415
Athens State University———$50,273

College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.

Why the price is different

University of Alabama in Huntsville would cost you $4,517 more per year than Jacksonville State University, on average.

  • Higher sticker price at University of Alabama in Huntsville, mostly from higher housing & meal costs (+$2,228).
  • Jacksonville State University gives aided families $1,382 more in grants, on average.
Per year, Alabama residentUniversity of Alabama in HuntsvilleJacksonville State UniversityDifference
Tuition & fees$12,132$12,894−$762
Books & supplies$2,416$998+$1,418
Housing & meals$11,122$8,894+$2,228
Personal & travel$4,462$2,506+$1,956
Living-at-home adjustment−$2,740−$1,035−$1,705
Sticker price$27,392$24,257+$3,135
Average grants−$8,596−$9,978+$1,382
You pay$18,796$14,279+$4,517

“+” means University of Alabama in Huntsville costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.

Common questions about University of Alabama in Huntsville

What is the University of Alabama in Huntsville acceptance rate?

University of Alabama in Huntsville accepts 69% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 4,510 of 6,074 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1210–1410 on the SAT or 24–31 on the ACT.

How much does University of Alabama in Huntsville cost per year?

The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $27,392 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $18,796 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $16,192 and families earning $110k+ pay $21,501.

How much do University of Alabama in Huntsville graduates earn?

Former University of Alabama in Huntsville students earn a median $61,767 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.

What is the University of Alabama in Huntsville graduation rate?

64% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 84% return for their second year.

How long does a University of Alabama in Huntsville degree take to pay off?

For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at University of Alabama in Huntsville costs about $80,306 after grants ($18,210 a year for 4.4 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $61,767 ten years after starting, $30,283 more than high school graduates in Alabama ($31,484), so the cost is repaid in 2.7 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).

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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “University of Alabama in Huntsville: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-alabama-in-huntsville (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).